


Risks

by OneforAll



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 03:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4206450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneforAll/pseuds/OneforAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first little attempt at posting, just a little moment between my two boys</p>
    </blockquote>





	Risks

**Author's Note:**

> My first little attempt at posting, just a little moment between my two boys

Risks

 

One night in a rather low tavern, Athos and Aramis had been drinking together; Aramis had wanted to press on to a rather more salubrious place with card tables.  
Feeling in a particularly dark mood and with several drinks already him, Athos had insisted, "I want another drink, Here, now!" he declared, banging his tankard down on the table.  
"Ye gods, Athos!" Aramis had exclaimed exasperatedly. "I do not know what it is you seek solace from but you look for it too hard and deep in the bottom of a bottle. I fear it does you no good and no matter how hard you try you will never find an answer there!"  
Athos bridled, giving his companion a hard look. Aramis had not challenged him in such a way on the subject before.  
"As you pursue whatever it is you seek solace from--through God, or soldiery. or whatever other means," he growled, eyes narrowing slightly. He was referring to Aramis' propensity for womanising and he knew the other took his meaning from the slight flush that rose in his cheeks. "Sometimes, it seems to me, any certainty of which road to take. "So kindly do not lecture me about how to seek..solace. "This," he added, banging his tankard on the table for emphais, "is my business, not yours!"  
Aramis didn't say a word, but he looked shocked--and pained. Then he clattered his own tankard down on the table, climbed to his feet and wordlessly, made for the door.  
Athos, sat for a moment, stunned. Then he threw back his head, feeling hugely ashamed and vey sober.  
You idiot! he berated himself. You stupid, great idiot!  
Climbing to his feet he noticed Aramis had left his cloak behind; he quickly gathered it up along with his own, not pausing to put it on. If he hurried he might be able to catch Aramis before he went too far.  
Outside the bar, he looked around anxiously. Fortunately, Aramis was no great distance away. He was just around a corner, in a quiet alley, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed, shivering slightly, for it was a cold night. A shaft of moonlight touched his fine features, the image reminding Athos momentarily of the otherwordly slightly pained look one saw on the faces of some saints in stained glass windows.  
"Aramis," he said quietly. The other turned to look at him, "You left your cloak," he added, almost tongue-tied, holding the cape out on his arm to his fellow musketeer.  
Aramis made no move towards him, just have him a hard, pained look.  
"And you seem to have forgotten your drink. Although that is not my concern, which you have made clear is not welcome--or my company, either, I shoud imagine." It was said almost expressionlessly, brittlely, but there was still pain in it.  
Athos had once heard a whispered aside between another couple of musketeers he'd passed-- I don't think humble pie is ever a dish in Monsieur Athos' diet."  
Well, time to start eating it, he thought. Taking in a deep breath he murmured, "I'm sorry, That was stupid and crass, and not the way one should treat the concerns of a friend." He tried to catch and hold the other's eyes. "Forgive me?"  
Aramis' gaze softened almost immediately , compassion mingled with a hint of expectation; a desire for a little more explanation.  
Athos dropped his own eyes to the ground because the warmth in his friend's was close to undoing him.  
"It's just that..sometimes a man finds himself in the kind of place, where believe me, he is better being on his own, not being a burden to his friends."  
Then he felt a hand on his arm, and looked up to see Aramis saying quietly, earnestly, "Yes, there are such places we all go to sometimes, but you need never be completely alone--as long as Porthos and I have breath in our bodies. " Then a little quirk of his eyebrow. "As long as you wish it so?"  
"Yes, I do know, and I'm thankful, and do wish it so. " Nothing more true, he thought, feeling perhaps there was something he'd done in a past life to deserve such loyalty. "And it's the same for me," he hastened to add, earning himself a soft warm smile from Aramis that did strange things to his guts. He was also aware of his friend shivering and said "It's freezing, come back inside or put your cloak on."  
Aramis looked a little pained. "If we are to keep company with Bacchus tonight, can it not at least be at the better place with the card tables and tolerable food? Unless you have developed an attachment for that tankard of gnat's piss you left behind? " His eyes twinkled teasingly.  
"Not one | couldn't easily break. " Athos chuckled dryly as he pulled Aramis' cloak round his friend's shoulders.  
There was a moment, with Aramis smiling back at him, his face illuminated by moonlight, when it would have felt so natural just to lean in a little bit and kiss him. Athos had to take a deep steadying breath and fight very hard to look nonchalant.  
Such a risk, greater than anything ever faced In the worst of battles. Of losing the precious friendship and loyalty displayed so clearly before him tonight. Without certainty, too great a risk.  
"Let's go, then. It's not far," he added lightly, needing to keep up a guard, but not wanting to disturb this warmer, easier feeling that had come upon them.  
"The wine is far better," the other musketeer declared, falling into step with Athos.  
"And, you, of course, are an expert on such things?"  
"And many others," Aramis asserted airily. "And I think I can get us some convivial company: Madame La Fortune!*  
"You have reacquainted yourself with this fickle lady? As I recall, last time we went there, she turned her heel on you and sat in the lap of that fat merchant on the other side of the table!"  
"Ah, but I shall win her back! For I have charm and persuasive powers..."  
Don't you just, thought Athos as they headed down the lane, aware of exactly what the other was doing. Trying to cheer him, stop him from sinking back into that despond he'd been ready to fall into earlier.  
Sometimes it was better to simply allow oneself to be deluged in Aramasian charm, so he let the other continue in this same aimiable vein, their strides synchronised as they stepped quickly together through the chilly Parisian night air.  
In another life, thought Athos, I did something right.


End file.
